Fischell, a cardiologist and director of cardiovascular research at the Borgess Research Institute at Borgess Medical Center since coming to Kalamazoo in 1996, says he's excited about his latest invention, a medical device about the size of a pacemaker that can be implanted into a person to detect a potential heart attack hours before it occurs. The AngelMed Guardian cardiac monitor and alert system, which is in a Phase II clinical-trial approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was implanted into a patient at Borgess in February. The device vibrates a warning to its wearer if a heart attack is impending.

It is one of more than 200 mostly medical inventions, including the metal portion of Cypher, a Johnson & Johnson medicated heart stent, patented by Fischell; his father, Robert, a physicist; and brother, David, an expert on radiation. The Fischells together founded Angel Medical Systems Inc., of Shrewsbury, N.J.

William U. and Donald R. Parfet

W.E. Upjohn, founder of The Upjohn Co., the venerable Kalamazoo pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer Inc., would be proud of his great-grandsons, brothers William U. and Donald R. Parfet, both of whom have championed and fostered Kalamazoo's major role in the pharmaceutical industry. A former Upjohn Co. president and the last Kalamazoo person to sit on the boards of directors of Upjohn and its successor companies, William Parfet now is chairman and chief executive officer of MPI Research Inc., of Mattawan, which does preclinical drug testing. Donald Parfet, a former senior vice president and local site manager for Upjohn Co. successor Pharmacia Corp., is a founder and managing director of Apjohn Group LLC, of Kalamazoo, which works with innovators to launch life-science companies.

Robert Gadwood, former Pharmacia Corp. executive and scientist, co-founded Kalexsyn Inc., which provides chemical-research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the world.

Dr. Sidney Heersma, Kalamazoo's first pediatrician, established an office here in 1937 and was an advocate for children with special needs and for the prevention of child abuse.

Robert Heinrikson and Clark Smith, like Gadwood, are former Pfizer scientists who founded their own firm, Proteos Inc., which produces purified proteins and peptides for research.

Dr. Arthur James, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Borgess Medical Center, is recognized for his work in tracking and documenting the disparity in infant mortality rates between whites and ethnic minorities, as well as his efforts to bring down overall infant-mortality rates.

Dr. Arthur James

Dr. Steven Nitsch, a Kalamazoo plastic surgeon, has donated his services to helping children during multiple trips to Third World countries through Healing the Children.

Gillian Stoltman, former director of community health for Kalamazoo County Human Services, was instrumental in creating "Immunize by 2," which became a model for state immunization policies. She went on to become director of the Division of Communicable Disease and Immunizations for the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Richard Van Enk, a Bronson Methodist Hospital epidemiologist, in collaboration with researchers at Western Michigan University, examined the effect that Bronson's all-private room design has had on lowering patients' risks of hospital-acquired infection as well as on medical errors, privacy issues and patient stress. The study led the American Institute of Architects in 2006 to call for single-patient rooms as the standard for all new hospital construction.